Thousands Gather For San Francisco's Unique Soap Box Derby Fueled By Art, Irreverent Humor
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- For the first time in decades, thousands gathered in McLaren Park Sunday for a very San Francisco version of a soap box derby.
The motorless carts were created with a whimsical combination of art and humor as reflected by the prize categories of the event sponsored by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. They included Most Colorful, Most Amorphous, Most Illusionary, Most Decadent and Best of the Worst.
"I feel like my mission is to keep San Francisco weird," said SFMOMA's Stella Lochman. "This is such an amazing event. People like my old next door neighbors, my high school friends, artists I worked with for years (were taking part)."
It was first time the competitors have raced down the curvy hill of McLaren Park's Shelley Drive since the 1970s. A challenging course which claimed many of the entrants who crashed before the finishing line.
Among the competitors were Alex Morris and Noah Pilchen, who took on the course in a cart built as a bath tub filled with a bubble bath.
"It's an homage to one of the carts in the 70s," Noah said. "We love a good bath. We are ready to clean the competition."
Wendy Chien was among the other racers.
"I was really interested in making an immersive cocoon," as Chien stood next to her entry.
Happily, no injuries were reported among the contestants. Just smiles and plenty of lighthearted fun.
